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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25597924">Command Decisions</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CmonCmon/pseuds/CmonCmon'>CmonCmon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Raising Warriors [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Akul Teeth, Drinking with friends, F/M, Misuse of the Force, Rancor Feels, Scars, Shirtless Blitz, Soft Wars, Star Wars AU - Soft Wars</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 06:01:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,179</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25597924</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CmonCmon/pseuds/CmonCmon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Colt invites his General to Rancor's Command Meeting. </p>
<p>Scars, dried bantha bites, and just a little bit of mind reading.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Colt (Star Wars)/Shaak Ti</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Raising Warriors [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1835518</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>417</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Open Source Soft Wars</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Command Decisions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Project0506/gifts">Project0506</a>, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArwenLune/gifts">Primarybufferpanel (ArwenLune)</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>The usual thanks to amazing folks!</p>
<p>Thank you Project0506 for letting us play in your  <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/series/1683775">Soft Wars</a> universe.</p>
<p>Thank you <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArwenLune">PrimaryBufferPanel</a> for the beta and all the time thinking over these fics! And thanks to Jac (with a secret AO3) for the beta and all the encouragement!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Anything else, sir?” He scrubbed at his short hair, and she could feel his frustration from across the desk.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Next time, Shaak would ask about cadet concerns earlier in sequence of topics for the meeting. His shields always dropped as they went on, whether it was fatigue or emotion, and she could always feel his need to do more bleeding through by the end of their talks. They’d covered security upgrades at the holomap, gone over detailed assignment projections for the graduating cadets, addressed Rancor scheduling rotations, and finally moved to work through a mounting pile of datapads.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You are doing everything you can.” She would say it even if he never believed it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you, sir.” He did not believe it. Colt’s comm chimed again, like it had been doing for the last hour, but he didn’t check it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you needed elsewhere?” The question brought a tiny spark of amusement back to her from him, and Shaak reminded herself that she could shield herself more securely if his slipped. He and all of his brothers were entitled to what privacy she could offer them, and that included their feelings. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No sir.” He gave her one of those rare little smiles. “I have a meeting with Rancor command after this. They are restless.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“To get started?” She didn’t know any of the men looked forward to meetings. “Or to be finished?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s a… uh, a bit less formal a meeting.” Colt’s little smile grew just a hint wider as he put his attention on the datapad in his hands. “As for the upcoming drills scheduled, we have one for the Tsunami warning Taungsday and--” He broke off to scowl as three more chimes went off. “Excuse the interruption, sir.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The meeting had dragged on, but only because she was grateful for the company. He should go, be with his brothers. “Colt, I am perfectly capable of reading your clear and detailed notes without you present.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Apologies, sir.” He turned off the chimes. Colt looked wounded. “General, I didn’t intend to--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shaak rested a hand on his arm. She should know to be more careful with him by now. “I mean to say, go enjoy your time with your brothers. I will finish things here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You could join us.” The words were rushed, as if he hadn’t intended for them to come out at all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That caught her unprepared. Quinlan had only been gone days, but somehow his surprise visit had made the isolation worse. It was easy to forget how alone she was after weeks on her own, but two days of his closeness and affection were enough to make her feel the loss of it all the more.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The men deserved their own time, their own space to be without her or any other outsider trespassing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her hand was still on Colt’s arm. Shaak drew it back and composed herself. “I doubt that’s any of your brothers’ idea of an enjoyable command meeting.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Colt frowned at her, which she had learned meant he was weighing the best course of action. “Sir, you joining us would make their month, if not their year.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The temptation to drop her shields to see if that was the truth or what he knew she wanted to hear was strong, but Shaak had always been good at resisting temptation. In the year they had been embroiled in this war, some of her fellow Jedi had developed very close ties to their men. Obi-Wan’s were as close as family. Anakin’s had practically adopted him from what she’d heard. Plo’d taken his men as sons. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shaak believed in the Jedi Code, believed that attachment was a temptation she could resist. She trusted herself to the Force. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But nothing Colt offered suggested attachment. Only warmth and camaraderie, which were perfectly within the Code. She missed the company of others, and Colt had offered exactly that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you believe they wouldn’t mind…” If you wouldn’t mind, she didn’t say because Colt would never tell her if he did. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Rancor would be so happy to have you.” His smile was just a tick wider.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She could allow herself drop her shields long enough to sense if they would rather she wasn’t there. If her arrival made them uncomfortable, she would say goodnight. It wasn’t so very difficult. She was a Jedi after all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Perhaps just for a bit.” Shaak couldn’t simply say yes. It was too much of a commitment, but Colt smiled, a quick flash of even, white teeth, like she’d said it anyway.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I could bring…” Shaak reached to her desk drawer, and pulled out a short, wide bottle. A gift from Obi-Wan when she’d gathered her things at the Temple what felt like a lifetime ago. “If it’s that sort of command meeting?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Colt’s chuckle was a low, warm thing. “Yes, sir. It’s that sort of command meeting.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>*</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shaak let her guard down just outside the nondescript meeting room door. Before she could sense the other Rancor staff, she felt the buzz of Colt’s <em>pleasurepridesatisfaction</em> in the Force. She ought to speak to him about keeping his shields up, but it was so rare she let down her own, it wasn’t worth the possibility of making him uncomfortable.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As if he heard her thoughts, he glanced over. “Ready?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She held up the bottle, “Don’t fear, I’m properly armed.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe he didn’t know she could joke, or perhaps she wasn’t funny often enough, but now and then, she’d catch him off-guard and the moment and be rewarded with a full smile, and the way the corners of his eyes would bunch, and he would look younger and freer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, sir.” He hit the door panel.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The door slid open to reveal the usual suspects, Havoc, Blitz and Hammer, along with Pots, the Rancor head medic, scattered across the beige couch and leaning negligently at the round meeting room table topped with snacks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The shift in their expression would have been comical if she wasn’t so unsure of her reception.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“General, sir.” Blitz was the first one to his feet, but the others stumbled in their rush to follow. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shaak could feel the confusion, and more interestingly the frustration directed at Colt. Rancor didn’t like surprises, and she could find that easy to believe.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Down,” Colt grumbled. “The General is here for the meeting.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And came prepared.” She crossed the room, and set the bottle down with a firm thump. “And the General would prefer if you called her Shaak tonight.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span><em>Respectsurpriseadoration</em>. The rush of emotion in the room was so gratifying, it was nearly enough to convince her to keep herself open around the men the rest of the time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well?” Colt took a spot on the couch, and looked at his brothers. “Let’s get the meeting started.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>*</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Obi-Wan had a wonderful taste in unmarked dark bottles of Force only knew what. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shaak was on her second drink, and only Pots was keeping up. Colt nursed his cup, radiating contentment. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The command meeting seemed to be a chance for the officers to forget their formalities for a bit, enjoy the company of their brothers in a way they were probably not comfortable doing with the rest of the battalion. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just like she did when a Jedi chanced to visit. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Show her the better one!” Pots scolded Blitz, who was dressed down to workout clothes for the meeting. Pots had been the latest target of their teasing, focused on his creative problem solving for medical emergencies during their time in the field. Armor-repair adhesive had done a decent job on some open wounds but tended to discolor the scar.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Blitz tugged at the neck of the top, paused, and then tried the sleeve. “Sorry, sir, Pots’ll have to describe it. It’s--” He gestured to his side in a spot the shirt would not stretch to reveal.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She waved a hand, feeling his awkwardness radiating like a star. It was valuable to know Blitz was quiet by nature and maybe even a touch shy. “I understand, Blitz. You don’t have to.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Di’kut strolls around half-dressed all the time.” Havoc waved a dismissive hand at his brother. “Shaak’s seen a vod without a shirt on before.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Havoc.” Colt didn’t need to say more. The ARC gave him one sullen look and took another sip of his drink. Those sorts of reprimands were most likely not a part of the regular command meetings.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He is right.” Shaak paused to finish her drink, setting it beside the heels of her boots. The brothers all looked chastened. “I have seen a brother or two without their shirt, so if your reservations are on my account…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, sir.” Colt scrubbed at his eyes as Blitz flashed a sharp grin that would rival Havoc’s. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, that one,” Pots picked up his story like his commanding officer wasn’t flushed nearly the color of his armor. “The other one had the armor adhesive, but this time, I used some stickyplast and we had left over from packaging cargo…”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>*</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“They’re teeth?” Hammer repeated, cautiously touching her headdress like he might hurt her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Akul teeth,” she agreed, snuggled cross-legged on the couch between Colt and Hammer.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And you killed it.” Blitz was on the floor, flopped over as comfortably as her discarded boots, half on top of Havoc. “By yourself.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s so hot,” Havoc sighed, and Blitz punched him in the arm before Colt could get off the couch to do it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>*</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t until the room went absolutely silent that Shaak realized they had seen very little of her using the Force.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The bag of dried bantha bites were half-way from the table to the couch when the hush fell over them. She felt her lekku flush and considered returning the bag to the table.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pots was the first one to react, poking the bag with one finger. “You just-- With your mind--” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shaak drew the snack the rest of the way slowly, until Blitz caught the bottom corner and gave it a playful tug. She let him draw it inches before tugging back. They must have seen far more dramatic uses of the Force on the battlefield, but the room was flooded with awe and reverence.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She tugged more firmly, and laid a gentle hand on Colt’s knee before he could intercede.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This time when Blitz pulled back, she let him have it, the ARC toppling on top of his brother, dried bantha bites showering the pair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Could you imagine the osik we’d get up to if we could do that?” Hammer shoved Pots.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The medic rolled his eyes. “I can, and I don’t have enough bacta for it.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>*</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Blitz had taken off his shirt again. Shaak wasn’t sure either of them remembered the point of the story Havoc was telling of why it required it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had the same up-pointing claw on his shoulder. “You have the claw as well?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Every vod’s eyes turned to their commander. Colt might be blushing, but maybe it was the drink.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We all do.” He was definitely blushing. Again. “It’s a rancor claw and… well…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We all chose to get one when we saw Colt’s.” Havoc sounded more serious than Shaak had ever heard him. “He’s even got tattoos for our other companies. Don’t think any of us did that, but… well, rancors are tough shebse. Colt’s idea to turn the claws up because we’re protecting now, not attacking.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shaak felt the emotions swell in the room, and her own along with them. She’d seen the two claws on his body, but not any other tattoos. This wasn’t the moment to ask about them. She didn’t need to be a Jedi to know this was not what command meetings were supposed to focus on. “I don’t have any tattoos, but…,” she pushed up the sleeves of her robe to show her markings. “When my markings started coming in…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shaak knew her audience. The subject was effectively changed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>*</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was absolutely no reason for Colt to walk her back to her rooms. There were no threats on Kamino, and if anything, the two of them walking together at such a late hour was likely more questionable than anything else.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But she was a general, and he was her commander, and if anyone had something to say, she would dare them to make the accusation. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you, Colt.” She stood at her door. Only a few hours before, she’d felt like there wasn’t another being on the entire planet she could feel comfortable with.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My pleasure, General.” The soft little smile, just the slightest curl at the corners. “They- We were glad to have you there.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She had meant to put her guards back up, to allow him and his brothers their privacy, but the warmth and ease and affection between them was a balm to her spirit. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shaak’s mood was lifted. She could now go forward. A cup of tea, some meditation. There was not much time for sleep before the morning came. “Good night, Commander.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good night, sir.” Colt saluted as she let herself into her rooms.</span>
</p>
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